Chapter 5: Eira’s Escape

Eira sat in the corner of her room, her knees pulled close to her chest as silent tears carved paths down her cheeks. The echo of her father’s words—“You are no daughter of mine”—rang in her ears, loud and cutting like shards of ice. Her hands trembled as she looked at them, palms still buzzing faintly with the residue of her power. The icy blue veins on her skin were faintly illuminated, a haunting reminder of the force she had unleashed in the dining hall.

Her gaze flickered to the mirror across the room, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at it again—not after the vision. She had thought she was alone in this world, a peculiar girl with unnatural abilities. But the girl in the mirror, fiery and fierce, had stirred something deep inside her—something she didn’t understand but couldn’t ignore.

Eira’s thoughts drifted to Nanny Samantha. Her chest tightened with guilt as she remembered the warmth of Samantha’s embrace, the comfort in her whispered words: “It’s all right, Eira.” But now, Samantha was gone—banished from the kingdom because of her. Eira’s tears burned hotter, and she clenched her fists, the frost on her skin surging faintly. She had to find answers. She had to find out who she was, and why her powers felt like a weight she could no longer bear.

The sound of distant footsteps startled her. She stiffened, listening intently as they approached her room. A knock followed—soft, hesitant. For a moment, Eira thought it might be her father, but when the door creaked open, it revealed not him but her older brother, Callen.

Callen stepped inside, his usual bravado replaced by an uneasy silence. His emerald eyes lingered on Eira’s tear-streaked face, and the frost that still clung to the edges of her room. “Eira…” he said softly, guilt weighing heavily in his voice. “I—I came to check on you.”

Eira turned away, unwilling to meet his gaze. “You don’t have to pretend you care,” she muttered, her voice sharp and icy. “Father’s made it clear what he thinks of me. You’re probably here to tell me the same.”

Callen flinched but didn’t retreat. “That’s not true,” he said, stepping closer. “What happened tonight—it wasn’t your fault. You’ve been hiding your powers for so long, trying to please him, trying to follow his rules. But maybe… maybe it’s time you stop hiding.”

Eira whipped her head around, her icy blue eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

Callen hesitated, glancing toward the door as if afraid someone might overhear. “There’s a man—an ally, outside the kingdom. I’ve met him in secret. He knows about people like you, people with… gifts. He’s been searching for someone like you, Eira. I think he can help you.”

Eira’s heart raced as she processed Callen’s words. For the first time, a flicker of hope ignited inside her, mingling with the icy dread that had consumed her. “Who is he?” she demanded.

Callen shook his head. “I don’t know his name. He’s… mysterious, but he helped me once before.” His voice lowered. “I can take you to him, but it won’t be easy. You’ll have to leave the kingdom. Father will never allow this.”

Eira swallowed hard. She looked around her room, at the frost-covered mirror, at the stifling walls of the palace that had never felt like home. The thought of leaving terrified her, but the vision of the fiery-haired girl burned in her memory. That bond—whatever it was—compelled her to act.

“I’ll go,” she said quietly, her voice steady despite the fear swirling inside her. “I need answers.”

Callen nodded, his expression both relieved and anxious. “Then we leave tonight,” he whispered. “Before anyone can stop us”. Eira followed Callen through the shadowed corridors of the palace, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and hope. The weight of her father’s rejection still clung to her, but Callen’s words had sparked something she hadn’t felt in years—a glimmer of possibility. If this mysterious ally could help her understand her powers, maybe she could finally find the answers she’d been searching for.

They slipped out through a hidden passage, the cold night air biting at Eira’s skin. Callen led her toward the edge of the kingdom, where the towering gates loomed like silent sentinels. “We’re almost there,” he whispered, his voice steady but distant. Eira didn’t notice the way his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword or the way his gaze flickered with unease.

As they approached the gates, a figure emerged from the shadows—a man cloaked in black, his face obscured by a hood. Eira hesitated, her instincts prickling. “Is this him?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Callen nodded, but his expression was unreadable. “Yes. He’s here to help you.”

The man stepped closer, his presence imposing. “Eira,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “You’ve caused quite a stir.”

Eira’s unease grew, but she forced herself to stand tall. “Who are you? How do you know about me?”

The man didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to Callen. “You’ve done well,” he said, tossing a small pouch of coins into Callen’s hands.

Eira’s blood ran cold. “Callen… what is this?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Callen avoided her gaze, his jaw tight. “I had no choice, Eira. Father ordered me to bring you here. He said it was for your own good.”

Eira’s heart shattered as the truth sank in. Her own brother had betrayed her, delivering her into the hands of a stranger who radiated danger. The man reached for her, but Eira’s instincts took over. Frost surged from her hands, freezing the ground beneath her feet as she stepped back.

“You lied to me,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “You said you wanted to help me.”

Callen’s face twisted with guilt, but he didn’t move to stop the man. “I’m sorry, Eira. I thought this was the only way to keep you safe.”

Eira’s eyes burned with a mix of icy blue and fiery red as her powers flared uncontrollably. The betrayal cut deeper than any wound, but it also ignited a fierce determination. She wouldn’t let herself be a pawn in their games—not her father’s, not Callen’s, and certainly not this stranger’s.

With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a blast of frost that sent the man stumbling back. “Stay away from me,” she growled, her voice trembling with both fear and fury.

Callen reached for her, but she stepped back, her gaze cold and unyielding. “Don’t follow me,” she said, her voice sharp as ice. “You’ve made your choice.”

Without another word, Eira turned and ran, her heart pounding as she disappeared into the night. The betrayal had left her scarred, but it had also awakened something within her—a resolve to uncover the truth on her own terms, no matter the cost.